THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, May 4, 1996 TAG: 9605040495
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 38 lines
Hickory High, the new Chesapeake school carved out of Great Bridge's backyard, has shown it plans to compete with the Wildcats in wrestling by hiring a proven winner as head coach.
Cox's Jud Stokes, who coached the Falcons to the Beach District title in 1995 and a runnerup finish this year, confirmed Friday that he is moving to Hickory.
``It's an enormous challenge,'' Stokes said of competing with Great Bridge. ``But my only goal is to win a state tournament. That's what I'm working for. I want to beat Great Bridge.''
The Wildcats have won six straight and nine of the past 10 state championships.
Stokes, 35, said family considerations played a major role in his decision to leave Cox.
``I live five minutes from Hickory and I hate the 35- to 40-minute commute to Cox each day,'' he said. ``That's not me. Plus I wanted to teach and work in the community I live in.''
Stokes doesn't expect to challenge the Wildcats right away.
``I foresee a whole lineup of ninth-graders,'' he said. ``I'm just guessing.
``Any upperclassmen who are good will probably stay at Great Bridge. In sports at a certain level, people find a way to wrestle where they want to.''
Brian Dugan, the coach at Great Bridge Middle School and a former wrestler at James Madison University and Salem High, will be Stokes' assistant. ``He knows exactly who we're getting,'' Stokes said. ``I don't have a clue.'' by CNB